


(We Will Be Together) If the Fates Allow

by raidelle



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Developing Relationship, FFXV Brotherhood Era, Getting Together, Gladio is an Oblivious Idiot, Holiday Fic Exchange, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:28:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21866005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raidelle/pseuds/raidelle
Summary: Gladio has a huge crush on Ignis andeverybodyknows it. Except Ignis. Or does he?
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 8
Kudos: 55
Collections: FFXV Holiday Gift Exchange 2019





	(We Will Be Together) If the Fates Allow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LadyNightingGaleofMilvania](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyNightingGaleofMilvania/gifts).



> It's the first time I've written a holiday fic! I do hope you enjoy. :)

**15 December**

“So,” Noct huffs, lifting his two-handed sword in a forward slash.

“So what?” Gladio responds with a neat side-step, then an upswing of his own blade.

“Have you done something about it yet?” Noct steps back, preparing for a wide side swipe.

“Done something about what?” Gladio ducks and rolls, avoiding Noct’s sword. “And don’t step back too far. Your center of gravity will --”

The prince stumbles with a frustrated huff, falling gracelessly with a dull thump. “Dammit.”

“Yeah, that.” Gladio laughs. He holds a hand out to Noct, who takes it in as gentlemanly a manner as he could while still grumbling.

“Ugh, whatever. Have you done something about it yet?”

“Back in position, princess,” Gladio barks. “And _what_ are you talking about?”

“Your. Huge. Crush. On my. Advisor,” Noct says in between heavy breaths as he slashes and parries.

“What?”

Noct grins and repeats the exact same side swipe technique. This time, he maintains his footing and the move connects. Gladio is knocked on his back with a satisfying thud. “You heard me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Gladio uses his sword to push himself up. He dusts the seat of his trousers and moves back into position. “But that was a good one. Let’s try that again.”

“Oh, wow. Wow. Okay,” Noct says, eyebrows raised in disbelief. “Really?”

“Back in position, princess,” Gladio growls through clenched teeth. “Three more rounds and you’re out for the day.”

“I’m afraid he has to go now, Gladiolus,” Ignis’s voice echoes from the entrance of the Crownsguard training hall.

Gladio turns around so fast, it’s almost comical. “Hi, um. Iggy. Ignis. Hi, Ignis” he says breathlessly with a little wave. Behind him, Noct snorts. 

Ignis nods and smiles faintly at Gladio. “Hello, Gladiolus. Thank you for your hard work training Noct, as usual. But we really must leave now if His Highness is going to make it to dinner with His Majesty and Minister Pecunia.”

“Aw, man! I totally forgot about that. Sorry, Ignis.”

“No harm done,” Ignis smiles at Gladio. “Though it’s not like you to forget about such details. Is everything alright?”

“He’s fine, Specs,” Noct answers for Gladio. “His brain is just, like, on auto-forget mode recently if the details are not about you.”

Gladio hisses “Shut up!” through the corner of his mouth at Noct, whose teeth are bared in a gleeful, ear-to-ear grin.

“I’m sorry?”

“What Noct _means_ is that I… uh… Have a lot on my mind right now. Thinking about you, I mean, Yule preparations. I have to… I still haven’t uh... bought gifts for Dad and Iris.”

“Ah. Yes, of course.”

“Oh my GODS,” Noct heaves an almighty sigh. “I don’t even know why you’re my Shield if you’re being such a chicken about your cru --”

“Shut up, princess!”

“Chicken! Buck, buck, buck, buck!” Noct says, complete with arm gestures.

Ignis sighs and steers the prince away. “That’s quite enough, Noct. Goodbye, Gladiolus. We’ll see you again on Thursday. I promise there are no meetings or dinners to cut down on sparring practice.”

“Yeah. Yeah, okay. I look forward to uh, seeing you. And Noct.”

Noct’s answering “Oh, my GODS!” echoes back to Gladio inside the now-empty training hall.  


* * *

  


**17 December**

Iris plops down onto the sofa beside Gladio, wriggling enthusiastically to get into a more comfortable position. “Hey, Gladdy!” She decides to use his arm as a backrest, leaning her head back onto his shoulder.

“Hey, Mooglet. What’s up?”

“Oh, nothing. Just curious about what you’re looking at ‘cause you’ve been smiling non-stop at your phone since you sat down.” Iris’s voice has that sly quality to it, hinting to Gladio that she’s up to something.

“It’s just Ignis. Noct and Prom have somehow indoctrinated him in cat memes,” he says by way of explanation. Then he looks down at his phone again as it vibrates with another incoming message. He laughs through his nose at whatever it is on his phone screen then taps out a reply.

To Gladio’s utter surprise, his sister starts giggling. “What?” he says defensively.

“Oh my Astrals, Gladdy! You’re pathetic.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s not _just_ Ignis. It’s _Ig. Nis_.”

“What?”

Iris looks supremely annoyed at him. “You never smile that way when Noct or Prom sends you memes. Just go on and ask him out!”

“What are you talking about?” Gladio says, completely lost.

Iris twists in her seat and glares at him with her patented I-can’t-believe-how-stupid-you-are look. “It’s a who, and I’m talking about Ignis, you dummy.”

“Ignis? You want me to ask Ignis out?”

“Oh my Astrals, Gladdy, yes! So you can stop being...” she waves her hands and flutters her fingers. “Like _this_ over your humongous crush on him!”

“Don’t yell it out for all of Eos to hear, Mooglet! What the hell?”

“Ah-HA!” Iris wiggles her finger under Gladio’s nose. “So you’re admitting that you have a crush on Ignis!”

“What? No! I’m just saying, don’t yell because --”

“Liars go to Ifrit’s Hell, Gladdy.”

“I’m not… It’s not a…”

“Not a crush? Then what is it? Is it looooove?” Iris sing-songs. “DAAAAAD! Gladdy’s in love with Ignis!”

“IRIS!” Gladio grabs after his sister, who scrambles up and over the back of the sofa with a happy cackle.

From his home office, Clarus chuckles and shakes his head. “I know, dear girl, I know.”  


* * *

  
**21 December**

Prompto wipes the sweat from his brow and takes a deep breath. He gazes out towards the horizon and smiles, loving the interplay of color as the sun rises and paints downtown Insomnia in blue and purple, orange and gold.

Then he hears two familiar voices and his smile grows.

“Heya, guys! Kinda early for a date, isn’t it?” He winks at Gladio and Ignis in turn.

“We’re not --”

“What are you talking about? It’s not a --”

Prompto takes pity on his friends. “Yeah, okay,” he says, his smile growing impossibly wider. “What’re you both doing out at this time, though?”

“I have insomnia, as you know,” Ignis said in a tone that’s both dignified and affronted. “I woke earlier than usual, and so I thought to go to treat myself to my favorite cafe and catch the sunrise.”

“And you, big guy? Sleepless last night, too?”

“Nah, I was just getting Jared some specialty balm for his knees.” He shakes a little paper bag stamped with the logo of the corner pharmacy.

“Aw, man. I hope Jared feels better soon.”

“How is he?” Ignis asks, visibly concerned. “I could bring over a tin of the healing salve my uncle uses for when his back pain gets particularly dreadful. Perhaps I could also help him in the kitchen?”

“You know I love having you over, Iggy. I mean… _we_ all love having you over,” Gladio rubs the back of his head with an awkward grin and Prompto just _cannot_ with the big idiot and his ridiculousness. “Jared would appreciate it, I’m sure. But you… you don’t have to. It’s a Sunday and you --”

Ignis touches Gladio’s arm and the Shield’s rambling stutters to stop. “I wouldn’t have offered if I’d minded, Gladiolus.”

“Right. Right, uh… yeah. So. Let’s um…”

“Let’s stop by my place first to get the salve, shall we?”

They turn toward the opposite direction, heading to Ignis’s apartment, seeming to have forgotten all about Prompto. He shakes his head and calls to their retreating backs, “Enjoy your date, guys! I mean, your _Sunday!_ ” He snickers at his own pun.

Prompto pulls out his phone, snaps a few photos of the sun that’s finally cleared the clouds, then fires up a text to Noct.

[Prompto, 6:02 AM] omg, ur right. gladio is HOPELESS.  


* * *

  
**23 December**

“I know. I’m sorry I can’t make it tonight, Uncle Levir,” Ignis sighs into his phone as he weaves his way through the shoppers crowding the Insomnia Town Square’s Night Market. “I promise to make our Eve dinner extra festive to make it up to you. It’s just that I -- of course. Thank you, uncle.”

He ends the call, pockets his phone, and runs as fast as he could in leather shoes to the book stall that held his goal. “Hello,” Ignis huffs when he skids to a stop in front of the small booth. “Have you got my book, ma’am?”

“Yes, here it --”

A large, tanned hand grabs said book, surprising both Ignis and the shopkeep.

“Gladiolus?”

“Shit! Ignis! Uh… hi! Uh… what are you doing here?” He picks up the book and hugs it protectively, the cover facing his chest.

Ignis huffs a small laugh. “I’m buying a book. _That_ specific book, if you must know.”

“I know. I mean, uh, right. Really? Well, I’m uh… getting this, too, actually. So… miss? Can you uh…” He hands the book over to the amused-looking shopkeep.

“I didn’t know you were interested in Tenebraean cuisine, Gladiolus,” Ignis says, sadly eyeing the book now being carefully wrapped in brown paper.

Gladio keeps his eyes down as he replies. “Well, yeah. No, no, not really. I just… I’m getting it for someone. They’ve been um… looking for it for a long time now.”

Ignis sighs. “I see. Well… I’m sure they’ll love it. It’s a rare first edition.”

The shopkeep smiles at them, eyes glittering with something like mischief. “Very rare, indeed. It’s one of the few signed by the author.”

The words make Ignis sigh again, deeper and heavier this time. “Perhaps there’s another copy waiting for me somewhere else.” He heaves another sigh. “Well, Gladiolus. It was nice seeing you.”

Ignis turns to go, dejected, but Gladio grasps his arm and pulls him back. “It’s this one.”

“Beg pardon?”

“I um… it’s this one. The book. That’s waiting for you somewhere. Like you said. I bought it for you. You mentioned it, uh, a few times before and I…” He thrusts the book toward Ignis and looks away. Up to the darkening sky, down to the ground slowly being peppered by flaky snow, and back up again.

“Gladiolus, I… Thank you,” Ignis says, sincerity in his eyes and also a bit of regret. “I’m sorry I didn’t get you anything.”

“There are two more days before Yule!” The shopkeep chimes in. “You have more than enough time to find a suitable gift!” She claps her hand in front of her chest then winks at each of them in turn.

Ignis reels, as if only realizing that there were, indeed, two more days before Yule. “Yes, of course. But I… I’m truly terrible at gifting. It’s one of the few things I’m bad at, Noct says.”

“Well, whoever this Noct is _may_ be right, but there’s a solution to this predicament, isn’t there?” the shopkeep trills.

The meddling ought to be annoying, but Ignis couldn’t fault the lady for wanting to help him out of his predicament. “Well, I don’t --”

“Ask him what he wants, that’s what you do! Best way to know what to give!” Another trill, another wink.

Gladio, who’d been silent throughout the exchange, finally makes a sound: he clears his throat.

“Gladiolus?”

“Go out to dinner with me,” Gladio says in a rush, still looking anywhere but at Ignis.

“What?”

“Um…”

The shopkeep laughs and Ignis turns to look at her. “The young man just asked you out on a date, sweetie.”

“Of course. I heard what he said,” Ignis says almost indignantly. “What I meant was that…” he turns hesitantly toward the other young man. “Is that what you really want?”

Gladio looks up to the darkening sky, closes his eyes, and takes a fortifying breath. Then he looks at Ignis, straight in the eyes with an unwavering honey-whiskey gaze. “Yeah, that’s what I want. Been wanting it for a long time now, actually.”

With a small huff of a surprised breath, Ignis smiles. His cheeks are flushed with color, from the cold or from Gladio’s admission or from both. “I see. Well… well, I’m flattered. And yes, I’d love to go out to dinner with you.”

Gladio blinks. “Really?”

Ignis smiles, soft and warm. “Really.”

Then he places his hand on Gladio’s arm, the other clutching the precious book tight to his chest, and leads them away. “Are you free tonight?” he teases, and it’s Gladio’s turn to blush a deep red.

Behind them, the shopkeep tries but fails to suppress a giddy giggle.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed reading! ;)


End file.
